The Evolution Of Puget Sound's Ferry Services

The ferry system in the U.S. state of Washington has its roots in the mosquito fleet, a collection of small steamers that served the Puget Sound area during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Puget Sound Navigation Company, also known as the Black Ball Line, was the dominant player in this period, pioneering auto-ferry services and establishing a near-monopoly on regional ferry crossings. In 1951, the state of Washington intervened, purchasing the Black Ball Line's assets and establishing the Washington State Ferries service, which remains operational to this day.

The Puget Sound ferry system was born in 1951

The Puget Sound ferry system, officially known as Washington State Ferries (WSF), came into existence in 1951. It is a public ferry system that operates within Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands in the U.S. state of Washington. The system has its roots in the "mosquito fleet", a collection of small steamers that served the Puget Sound area from the late 19th century through the early 20th century.

By the 1930s, only two lines remained: the Puget Sound Navigation Company (known as the Black Ball Line) and the Kitsap County Transportation Company. A strike in 1935 caused the latter to close, leaving the Black Ball Line as the sole operator. Towards the end of the 1940s, the Black Ball Line sought to increase fares to compensate for rising labour costs, but the state refused, leading to the shutdown of the ferry service.

Faced with the prospect of prolonged disruption to a vital transport link, the state intervened. On December 30, 1949, it was announced that the state would purchase most of the Puget Sound Navigation Company's ships, docks, and routes. This acquisition included 16 ships at a cost of $5 million. The Washington State Ferries began service on June 1, 1951, with routes and schedules unchanged from the previous private operation.

The new system was operated by the Washington State Toll Bridge Authority, which ordered ten new vessels capable of carrying 60 to 100 vehicles. Revenue bonds were issued to finance the purchase of the Puget Sound Navigation Company's assets, totalling $4.94 million. The initial ten routes were reduced to eight by the end of the first year.

The WSF has since expanded to 10 routes serving 20 terminals, carrying a total of 18.66 million riders in 2023. It is the largest ferry system in the United States and the second-largest vehicular ferry system in the world. The ferries are painted in a distinctive white and green trim, with double-ended open vehicle decks and bridges at each end, eliminating the need to turn around.

Since its inception in 1951, the WSF has retired many older vessels and replaced them with new ones capable of carrying more passengers and vehicles. The system has faced challenges due to staffing shortages and vessel replacement delays, but it remains an indispensable link in the region's transportation network and a top tourist attraction.

The first regularly scheduled ferry service in the Sound was offered by the City of Seattle in 1888

In 1888, the City of Seattle offered the first regularly scheduled ferry service in Puget Sound, transporting passengers, wagons, and cattle from West Seattle to downtown in just eight minutes. This marked a pivotal moment in the region's history, as ferry services became an integral mode of transportation for Seattleites.

The late nineteenth century saw ferry boats gain popularity among both well-to-do residents and workers. People from all walks of life used privately-run steam-powered ships to commute, with laborers sailing daily from their homes in the city to their jobs at sawmills on Bainbridge Island. This shift in transportation was significant, as it connected different areas around Puget Sound, fostering community growth and development.

The "mosquito fleet", a collection of small steamer lines, further solidified the importance of ferry services in the region during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. With hundreds of vessels, the "mosquito fleet" played a crucial role in connecting people and goods to various destinations along the 1,332-mile shoreline of Puget Sound. This era witnessed the transformation of transportation in the region, as roads and rail lines began to extend across Puget Sound, gradually reducing the reliance on ferry services.

Despite the emergence of alternative modes of transportation, the City of Seattle's introduction of the first regularly scheduled ferry service in 1888 laid the foundation for the ferry system's enduring presence in the region. It showcased the importance of water travel in Seattle and paved the way for the evolution of ferry services, which continue to be a steadfast icon in the city's history.

The mosquito fleet was a collection of small steamers serving the Puget Sound area

The first steamboat to operate on Puget Sound was the Beaver, which began sailing in the late 1830s. The Beaver was a sidewheeler built in London, which reached the Northwest under sail, with its paddle wheels dismantled. The first American steamboat on Puget Sound was the sidewheeler Fairy, built in San Francisco in 1852.

By the 1880s and 1890s, the population of the Puget Sound region had grown significantly, and steamboat technology had improved. Many new and fast vessels were launched, and roads were still poor, so the water route was the preferred way to travel between cities on the sound.

The Mosquito Fleet was made up of a multitude of private transportation companies running smaller passenger and freight boats on Puget Sound and nearby waterways and rivers. This large group of steamers and sternwheelers plied the waters of Puget Sound, stopping at every waterfront dock. The peak of activity for the Mosquito Fleet occurred between the First and Second World Wars.

The fleet was made up of vessels that were often "jerry-rigged, usually reliable, occasionally less seaworthy than they should be, and always more functional than fashionable". They ranged in size from the 19-foot Polky to the 283-foot Yosemite, but were predominantly about 90 feet long. Most had flat bottoms with very shallow drafts to facilitate access. Nearly all were steam-powered, and about 70% were propeller-driven, with the rest being paddlewheelers, either stern or side-mounted.

The Mosquito Fleet began to decline with the advent of the automobile and the improvement of roads and highways. Many boats were converted to automobile ferries, while others were abandoned or fell into disrepair. The Washington State Ferries system now runs on many of the routes once served by the Mosquito Fleet.

The Puget Sound Navigation Company was also known as the Black Ball Line

The Puget Sound Navigation Company, also known as the Black Ball Line, was founded by Charles E. Peabody in 1898. The company's trade name was inspired by the original Black Ball Line, founded by Peabody's grandfather, Alexander C. Marshall, in 1818. The original Black Ball Line operated a fleet of sailing ships that carried passengers and freight between New York and Liverpool.

In the early 20th century, the Puget Sound Navigation Company became a dominant player in passenger service on Puget Sound. Through mergers and acquisitions, the company, also known as the Black Ball Line, pioneered auto-ferry services, which became a vital part of Washington's transportation system. By the 1930s, the company had achieved a virtual monopoly on cross-sound traffic.

The company's success, however, was not without challenges. In the 1940s, strikes, fare increases, and scheduling issues stranded tens of thousands of riders. These issues led to public outrage and calls for the creation of a state-run ferry system. Eventually, on December 30, 1949, the state agreed to purchase most of the Puget Sound Navigation Company's ships, docks, and routes.

On June 1, 1951, Washington State Ferries began operations, inheriting the Black Ball Line's ferries and employees, and retaining the same routes and schedules. This marked the end of the Puget Sound Navigation Company's domestic operations in Washington, although it continued to operate a reduced fleet in British Columbia under the name Black Ball Ferries, Ltd.

The ferry system is the largest in the US and the second-largest vehicular ferry system in the world

The ferry system in Puget Sound, Washington, has a long and storied history. From the indigenous people's use of wooden canoes to traverse the region's waterways, to the eventual introduction of motorised ships, travel by boat has been essential in this area.

By the late 19th century, ferry boats were a popular mode of transportation for all classes of Seattleites. In 1888, the City of Seattle introduced the first regularly scheduled ferry service, transporting passengers, wagons, and cattle from West Seattle to downtown in just eight minutes. This was followed by the emergence of the "mosquito fleet" in the early 1900s, with around 700 small steamers operating across 34 routes, many of which are still used today.

The ferry system in Puget Sound truly came into its own with the establishment of the Washington State Ferries in 1951. This marked a turning point in the region's transportation history, as the state took over ferry operations from private companies. The state-run system brought increased reliability and affordability to commuters, and the ferries became indispensable links in the region's highway system.

Today, the Washington State Ferries system is the largest in the United States and the second-largest vehicular ferry system in the world. It carries over 26 million passengers each year, connecting communities along the 1,332-mile shoreline of Puget Sound. The system has expanded and modernised over the years, with larger vessels capable of carrying bigger cars and more passengers. The iconic green and white ferries have become a symbol of the region, with some vessels, like the 60-year-old Tillikum, still in operation today.

Frequently asked questions